Knowing the definition of a team is crucial nowadays because almost everybody will become a part of it at some point of their professional life.
This article was written to introduce you to corporate commands, the benefits of working in them, their types and much more.
Let’s start by figuring out the definition!
A TEAM is a popular acronym that stands for «Together Everyone Achieves More». It perfectly captures the essence of teamwork: people can achieve better results together. This is possible because cooperation combines different points of view, skills and strengths, leading to excellent results.
The optimal team size is 4 to 7 people, which is excellent for productive interaction within the group. Each participant is responsible for fulfilling their obligations. Teammates have shared accountability and trust which form the basis for achieving common goals.
A unified approach to solving problems is very important because participants complement each other’s knowledge and skills expanding the team’s capabilities. In an effective team, roles are clearly distributed with the head setting tasks and coordinating the work.
In general effective cooperation is based on
- a structured distribution of responsibilities
- mutual accountability
- collective focus on achieving the desired result
Let’s list some key elements of rewarding teamwork:
- The participants join forces to work on a common product.
- No one can perform the work alone as the tasks are interdependent.
- Everyone working on the same product is responsible for the final result.
- Teammates have a common approach to finishing the task.
Adhering to these key principles allows the team to function efficiently.
Advantages of Teamwork
You may wonder why working on a project in a team is more productive than working individually. The following chapter will provide several meaningful reasons why cooperation is so effective.
Let’s mention the most important benefits of teamwork:
- Complementary skills of the team members directly affect the result of their work.
Together colleagues can develop complex solutions that they couldn’t achieve individually. - Diverse approaches to work and different perspectives lead to great progress and innovation.
Teamwork stimulates the group’s creative potential. Innovative ideas are born from active collaboration, combining diverse points of view and unique experiences. - Separating responsibilities and tasks increases the effectiveness of teamwork.
When each employee has specific functions and personal responsibility for certain tasks, the work results improve. - Colleagues’ support is essential to increase your motivation to achieve goals.
A positive team atmosphere is major for effective work. Assistance, encouragement and celebrating colleagues’ achievements help everyone feel involved in the overall success. - The interaction between team members develops communication and problem-solving skills.
Successful teamwork promotes effective negotiation and helps create effective conflict-resolution strategies. - The exchange of experience perfectly contributes to professional growth.
Sharing knowledge and learning from each other help team members grow as professionals.
Types of Teams
Teams are classified by such things as: purpose and objectives; tructure and composition; duration and permanence.
Let’s take a closer look at each of the classifications.
The first classification focuses on purpose and objectives includes:
- Working groups are separated into functional divisions or departments, forming the foundation of many organizations. These teams have a clear status and power structure.
- Decision-making groups play a crucial role in the organization. They have a defined hierarchy where some members’ opinions carry more weight. Examples include executive management, strategic groups and project management teams.
The second classification focuses on structure and composition includes:
- Functional teams are usually formed to solve specific tasks in an organization. Examples include sales, marketing, finance or production departments. They have a clear structure and distribution of responsibilities.
- Matrix teams are characterized by a double hierarchy. Team members report not only to the functional manager but also to the project manager. This structure facilitates cooperation between departments, although it can lead to conflicts among team members, as they must report to different managers.
- Virtual teams consist of members separated by distance but connected through technology. Virtual teams allow organizations to access global resources, although working together can be difficult due to time zone differences.
- Multidisciplinary teams consist of participants with diverse professional backgrounds and perspectives, which helps in solving complex problems.
The third classification focuses on duration and permanence includes:
- Permanent teams are created on an ongoing basis, often have fixed memberships, work on specific tasks and projects long-term. Examples of permanent teams include the sales department, customer service department and production department. These commands work together for extended periods. A CRM for coworking space can be utilized by these departments to efficiently manage customer relationships and track sales interactions.
- Temporary teams are formed to complete a specific project or task. This type has a clearly defined purpose and a limited period of validity, after which it disbands. Temporary teams are flexible and can quickly respond to new tasks.
- Cross-functional teams are created to solve short-term tasks and are characterized by flexibility, allowing participants to respond quickly to unforeseen events.
Stages of team development
They were described by psychologist Bruce Tuckman in his 1965 paper «Developmental sequence in small groups». Mr. Tuckman explains how members of a newly formed team start as strangers and then go through five stages before becoming successful.
The ideas of the aforementioned psychologist help managers understand the principles of team dynamics development throughout the project, thereby improving work efficiency.
Let’s go through all of the stages of team development.
The first stage is called Forming and is characterized with:
- A high level of uncertainty among team members. They don’t really know their roles, responsibilities, the purpose of their team and many other things.
- Cautious interactions, and initial introductions. Team members try to learn more about each other and the group.
The second stage is called Storming. During this stage teammates:
- Usually compete for authority.
- Try to understand their positions in a team.
- Put effort into defining a role for each person.
- Discuss the structure of a team.
- Distribute each member’s responsibilities and tasks.
The third stage is called Norming. It is critical for:
- Setting a good foundation for efficient collaboration.
- Agreeing on how to productively work together.
- Defining rules and standards for a team to follow.
- Team members to start active participation in collective work.
- Developing trust, respect and acceptance between team members.
- Increasing team’s productivity thanks to improved cooperation and the clarification of roles.
The fourth stage is Performing. Throughout this stage:
- The team begins to work effectively.
- The goals are actively achieved.
- Colleagues show respect towards each other and actively offer their support and help.
- Teammates start to perform their roles flexibly and learn to adapt to the team’s needs.
The fifth final stage is called Adjourning. During it, teammates can decide to end their collaboration after completing some shared task
Teams vs. Groups
Groups and teams are similar and have a lot in common, although they have some differences. For example, groups focus on achieving individual goals while teams concentrate on shared objectives and common goals.
Let’s have a close look at a group and a team and compare them according to such things as:
- setting and accomplishing goals;
- evaluating success;
- establishing roles and responsibilities;
- facilitating decision-making.
We will start with setting and accomplishing goals. In a group goals and objectives are usually more individual and narrow than in a team. The members pursue their own personal interests and are rarely willing to sacrifice them for the sake of a common task. In contrast, the goals of a team are more complex, shared by all members and aimed at achieving a common result.
When it comes to evaluating success, a group and a team are very different. In a group, success is measured in terms of personal achievements. The participants demonstrate their exclusivity and superiority over others. In a team, all its participants strive to achieve a common goal and the contribution of each person is equally valuable and important.
Let’s discuss 1) establishing roles; 2) distributing responsibilities
The roles in the team are clearly divided, each member is in charge of their part of the work. In contrast, the group lacks a clear distribution of roles, causing members to often perform similar tasks and duplicate each other’s functions. This leads to conflicts and reduced productivity.
The last thing we will compare is facilitating decision-making which is very different in a group and a team.
In a group, decisions are made individually without taking members’ opinions into consideration. In a team all decisions are made collectively. All members’ opinions matter.
How to Improve Your Teamwork
Here are some tips for those who want to significantly improve their teamwork and become more productive at what they do together with their teammates.
- The first tip is to organize team meetings regularly.
This improves coordination and promotes transparent, productive communication, leading to better understanding among team members and better work quality. - The second tip is to create very effective communication channels.
All team members must have access to communication tools such as email, chats and video calls. Their use significantly speeds up the exchange of information, thereby increasing the team’s efficiency and productivity.
TrueConf offers
A secure messenger and 4K video conferencing enable employees to stay connected from any device and collaborate seamlessly on common projects.
Work on All Popular Devices
TrueConf client applications run on Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, Android, as well as in browsers that support WebRTC technology.
Collaboration Tools
Content demonstration, presentation display and remote desktop access — all in one client application!
Unified Corporate Space
Shared address book, communication via telephony, conference scheduler and much more!
- The third tip is to transparently define roles and duties of each team member.
- It is great when each team member knows their role, tasks and demonstrates their strengths while working on a shared project.
This 1) reduces conflicts; 2) helps the team focus on common goals; 3) increases overall productivity.
TrueConf, with its real-time video conferencing feature, allows you to clearly and quickly set goals and objectives for the team. The automatic protocol records key discussion points and decisions, facilitating employees’ work and saving time. Each team member will know exactly what work and within what time frame needs to be done.
- The fourth tip is to organize team-building activities. They are necessary for strengthening team spirit and mutual trust. Choose activities that promote the team’s growth, development and enhance teamwork. Remember that events should be not only useful but also interesting and exciting, so people will be eager to attend them.
- The fifth tip is to promote a feedback culture.
Maintaining useful and productive communication between employees and sharing experiences contribute to the continuous improvement of the team, support employee development and create a better team environment.
Conclusion
Now you definitely know what a team is, what are the benefits of teamwork, what types of teams exist nowadays and what’s the difference between teams and groups. Moreover, the chapters «Stages of Team Development» and «How to Improve Your Teamwork» will put your understanding of teamwork and your own team on another level.
